McArthur On Home Nation Challenge

11 November 2016

James McArthur goes into tonight's latest contest between home nations England and Scotland at Wembley knowing that his nation need something from the encounter to revive the hopes of a place in the 2018 finals in Russia.

"It's a massive game for the nation and for the players,” the Eagles midfielder said at a press conference this week. “We need to treat it like every other game and focus on our game plan. But it's a chance to make history. We're looking at it as a great opportunity to try and do something special.”

When it comes to home advantage England have 27 wins to 18 losses with 11 matches ending in a draw. McArthur has some fond memories of the encounters over the years and sees this latest match as an opportunity for the squad to go on and help create another chapter of this home international story.

“As a boy growing up you remember Scotland beating England, you remember the goals, you remember the games. That is what we want. We can go and beat England. It is a great opportunity for us as individuals and as a team. That is the way that everyone is looking at it.

"I don't know why some people are downbeat. Obviously, you can look at our previous results, but this is a chance to go and create history and we're looking forward to that challenge. We all remember the good days of Scotland beating England and that's the kind of thing we want to create for the fans.

“A result will lift us so much. We will take so much confidence from it. It gets us right back in the group where we will be in a great moment going into very good games coming up. That is the challenge ahead.”

Once he is back on club duty the 29 year-old will be returning to the Palace squad who have not been away and he believes the break from Premier League action has come at a good time.

"It's not nice in the international break now for the players. You're not playing, and when you're on a losing run you want to try and make it right.

"We have normally felt international breaks have come at a bad time, but it feels like it's come at a good time now.

"We can regroup, get everyone a lot more solid, take away the mistakes and hopefully it will result in three points against Manchester City when no one expects you to."